MISSION VIEJO : Filing Deadline for Election Extended

Councilman Robert A. Curtis’ unexpected decision to not run for a second term has given other potential candidates five extra days to file. However, no one has decided to join the candidates who have filed to enter the race.

The filing deadline would have been Wednesday had Curtis decided to run for reelection.

That leaves a relatively small field of seven people to run for two open council seats in November. The last city elections in 1990 drew 14 candidates for three council seats.

Among those who have filed to run in the election so far are incumbent William S. Craycraft, Planning Commissioners Joseph Lowe and Sherri Butterfield, and Gary Manley and Edward Kearns, who ran for office in the 1990 elections. Lawrence Smith and Donald Heffern are first-time candidates.

Some political observers said Curtis’ absence leaves the door open for Craycraft and Manley. Both men, while not formally allying themselves, participated in a successful campaign to derail plans for a new city hall. Curtis was a major supporter of the proposal to build a new civic center and often clashed with Craycraft and Manley on the issue.

But others said voter dissatisfaction with the city hall project will not necessarily turn into approval at the ballot box in November.

“I think Gary (Manley) has one issue, and he’s going to have to address more than one issue,” Lowe said. “I don’t think this issue alone will carry him.”